Directory



(No Model.)

12:, A. EVANS. DIRECTORY.

No. 416.586. m Patented Dec. 3, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMORE A. EVANS, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

DIRECTORY.

SFECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,586, dated December 3, 1889.

Application filed January 4, 1889. Serial No. 295,396. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELMORE A. EVANS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Directories, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to directories, the object being to provide an improved directory for various business and other purposesas, for instance, in which may be inscribed the names of telephone-subscribers, the addresses of correspondents, &c.said directory consisting of a series of peculiarly-hinged indexed tablets or sheets, so arranged as to be quickly and conveniently separated for the purpose of finding any name or other indication, as may be desired; and the invention consists in the peculiarconstruction and arrangement of the co-operating parts of the directory, all as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is a perspective view of a directory constructed according to my invention, said figure showing the hand of a person in the position in which it is applied to separate certain of the leaves or tablets of the di rectory, for the purpose of opening the same at some desired page therein. Fig. 2 is also a perspective view showing certain of the tablets of the directory opened upward. Fig. 3 is an edge elevation. view of one of the tablet-hinges, showing the upper ends of the tablets in section.

In the drawings, 2 indicates aback of wood or heavy card-board, but preferably the former, in the upper end of which are secured two eyebolts 5, and having fixed transversely across the front face thereof a fulcrum-bar 3. Said back is arranged to be suspended against a wall, or upon a desk or other convenient place, upon one or two hooks 8, whereby it and the tablets thereon are heldin convenient position to permit of operating the latter, as below described.

A series of tablets as, having lettered index indications on the lower ends thereof, and having index-letters at the head of the pages thereof, as shown in Fig. 2, are suspended to- Fig. 4c is an enlarged 4, which are engaged with said eyebolts, said rings passing through eyeleted holes 7 in the upper ends of said tablets, said rings being of the ordinary broken-ring type, which permits .of the tablets being conveniently placed there upon. An outer cover-tablet 6 is provided, 011 which may be printed any desired suitable indication or direction for the use of the tablet, or other useful matter.

' The inner sides or pages of the indexed tablets 00 have ruled lines or columns, preferably for a name or names and numbers, as indi-' cated in Fig. 2, when the directory is adapted to be used as a telephone-directory, having written upon the various tablets the names and numbers of telephone-subscribers who are more or less frequently called up; but when the directory is to be used for the addresses of correspondents and other purposes the pages of the tablet may be prepared according to the purpose to which it is to be applied, or for which the directory is to be used. The said indexed tablets as are constructed, preferably, from a flexible materialsuch as card-board, celluloid, or other inaterialcapable of having the lower ends of the tablets deflected by pressing thereupon, as shown in Fig. 1, although it is obvious that tablets of inflexible material may be employed, but possessin g less convenience in operating the same quickly, in order to open the directory to a given page, and under such conditions the fulcrum-bar 3 on the front face of the back 2 may be omitted, letting the tablets lie' fiat against said back.

The operation of the within described directory is as follows: The rings .4, upon which the indexed tablets are suspended, are made of quite large diameter proportionately, in order to allow an exceedingly free swinging movement upward to said tablets, whereby they are easily thrown to the position shown in Fig. 2that is, such of the tablets in the last-named figure as are swung upward. The normal position of all of the tablets as they hang on the back 2 is that shown by the pending tablets in Fig. 2, wherein the tablets rest easily and freely against said fulcrum-bar. The first action of the operator in operating the directory for any of the above-namedpurposes is to place his finger upon the lower end of the tablet upon which the initial of the name he seeks is printed, and pressing thcreagainst he bends the lower ends of the tablets against which his finger acts away from those above them, thereby forming an opening be tween the tablets for the insertion of the end of the finger for the purpose of throwing upward all of the outer tablets, and thus exposing the pages of those which bear the names written upon the aforesaid tablet or tablets bearing the indexed initials upon which the finger of the operator is first pressed. Thus a person can quickly turn to any page of the directory and after using the same throw the uplifted tablets back to their normal position.

A directory of this description possesses obviously great con venienees over one consisting of a card having names and numbers printed thereupon, or a book, asis commonly used for the above-mentioned purposes, in which the names of the persons contained therein are arranged in alphabetical order upon different pages thereof.

It is obvious that the said indexed tablets may, if desired, be suspended, in the manner described, directly upon awall or a part of a desk or other place, and in such case theback 2 may be dispensed with.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. A directory consisting of a supportingback provided with eyebolts 5, rings 4, engaged therewith, and a series of indexed tablets provided with eyes 7, by which said tablets engage and are normally suspended from said rings and adapted to be swung upwardly .loosely attached to said back, and a series of indexed tablets as, suspended on said rings and resting against said bar, combined and operating substantially as set forth.

ELMORE A. EVANS.

\Vitnesses:

II. A. CHAPIN, G. M. CHAMBERLAIN. 

